Ask a Franciscan
Ask a Franciscan about…Lent and Easter
My lifelong curiosity prompts me to ask: 1) When and how did Ash Wednesday originate? 2) What was the specific thinking that inspired this practice? 3) Can you recommend reference sources on this subject?
What Is the Meaning of the Tau Cross?
Why do Franciscans so often wear a Tau cross or use it in their artwork? Also, compared to the crosses we usually see, why doesn’t it have a top part?
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Frequently Asked Questions about Advent
Advent, which comes from the Latin word for arrival or coming, is a period of preparation for the birth of our Lord.
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‘I Believe’ or ‘We Believe’ in the Nicene Creed?
On Sundays and holy days of obligation, we recite the Nicene Creed. We begin by saying, “We believe in one God….” Although this is the first person plural, this prayer’s Latin text reads “Credo” (“I believe,” first person singular).
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A Forgiving Thankfulness
Thanksgiving Day dinners can be challenging occasions for growth. Here are four reminders that may be useful during this holiday season, as well as year-round.
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Has Anyone Seen God Face-to-Face?
From the description in Genesis 3:8-24, it does not sound as though Adam and Eve saw God face-to-face. When Moses encountered the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-22), he heard God speak but did not see God.
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Substituting for the Gloria
For the past few years, from midnight Christmas through Epiphany, the director of music in our parish has elected to use "Angels We Have Heard on High" instead of the Gloria. What is proper in this regard?
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